14 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



were from the farm of James Marsh, of Danvers, and there 

 was awarded him a gratuity of five dollars. 



James Maistts Statement. 



I present for premium one buck and six native sheep, being a 

 sample of my flock of fifty ; in presenting which, I offer a few 

 remarks. My attention to keeping sheep was first called up by 

 the state of my pastures ; they being bushy, and too rocky to 

 plough without too much expense ; my cattle would not keep 

 them down without being kept too short. I found mowing did 

 but little towards subduing them. About seven years since, I was 

 induced to try sheep by way of experiment in subduing bushes, 

 without much regard to the profits of the sheep. I accordingly 

 procured six ; the next year I increased my flock to fourteen ; 

 these I kept on a pasture that would have about half kept a cow : 

 the sheep did well, the pasture did much better. I have since 

 increased my flock to fifty, and intend still to increase it further. 

 My method is to cut the bushes close, and keep as many sheep 

 as will keep them down, and each year give them as many more 

 as they will subdue in this way. I have nearly destroyed all 

 the barberry, blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry bushes (and 

 they were very plenty) in my pastures. The above-named 

 bushes are favorite food for sheep : they will not suffer a green 

 leaf to remain in their reach. My pasture, where they have run, 

 produces more than double the feed it did before. 



The two past years I have been trying an experiment on 

 about twenty-five acres of land, principally covered with wood- 

 wax and barberry bushes, (entirely worthless for neat stock,) 

 which has exceeded my most sanguine expectations. While the 

 sheep have done well, the wood-wax has decreased nearly one 

 half. I think in a few years it will entirely run out. 



I am fully convinced that most of the old mossy, bushy pas- 

 ture, of Essex County, might be much improved by keeping 

 sheep. My method would be not to keep them with neat stock, 

 but keep as many sheep as the lot would pasture, and change 



